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‘Cuts Both Ways’: A voluntary sector response to council budget cuts

‘Cuts Both Ways’: A voluntary sector response to council budget cuts. 13 February 2014 Phil Mawhinney Senior Policy Officer Community Action Southwark. 1. Session outcomes. Participants will gain – Knowledge of how CAS is influencing Southwark council on the impact of budget cuts.

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‘Cuts Both Ways’: A voluntary sector response to council budget cuts

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  1. ‘Cuts Both Ways’:A voluntary sector response to council budget cuts 13 February 2014 Phil Mawhinney Senior Policy Officer Community Action Southwark

  2. 1. Session outcomes Participants will gain – • Knowledge of how CAS is influencing Southwark council on the impact of budget cuts. • Knowledge of the different tools used to collect and share evidence. • Ideas for how to influence their local council.

  3. 1. Outline

  4. 1. Introductions In pairs, report the otherperson’s– • Name • Organisation • Borough • What they want to get from this workshop

  5. 2. Worth our while? Is it worth your while to try and influence the council on budget cuts? Why?

  6. 3. Context: council budget cuts • Council spending power cut 27% over 6 years. • 15/16 likely to be 11% cut. • Less council funding for VCOs. • Driver/context

  7. 3. Context: council budget cuts Qu 1: National • Nationally, we are halfway through 8 years of planned fiscal consolidation. • By the end of 2013/14, the government will have achieved how much of this consolidation? • 26% • 44% • 52%

  8. 3. Context: council budget cuts Answer 1. • 26% • 44% • 52% However– ‘the benefit cuts and the cuts to day-to-day spending on public services have been relatively back-loaded’. Source: IFS

  9. 3. Context: council budget cuts Qu 2: Local government • Local government spending is set to fall by how much between 2008 and 2015? • 15% • 30% • 40%

  10. 3. Context: council budget cuts Answer 2. • 15% • 30% • 40% • Because funding covers new service burdens – the underlying cut for existing services is even higher. Source: JRF

  11. 3. Context: council budget cuts Qu 3: London councils • Of 32 London boroughs, how many are seeing a cut in spending powerper person of >£200 (2011-15)? • 18 • 22 • 27

  12. Answer 3. • 18 • 22 • 27 Hackney, £338 Southwark, £249 Richmond, £39

  13. 3. Context: council budget cuts Qu 4: Voluntary sector funding • NCVO estimates public funding for charities to decline by how much 2010-18? • 9% • 12% • 21%

  14. 3. Context: council budget cuts Answer 4. • 9% • 12% • 21% • If cuts are disproportionate – as suggested by Compact evidence – it could be 15%. Source: NCVO

  15. 3. Context: council budget cuts Qu 5: Voluntary sector impact • How many voluntary organisations in London had to close services in 2012, according to an LVSC survey? • 41% • 51% • 71%

  16. 3. Context: council budget cuts Answer 5: • 41% • 51% • 71% • 60% reported a reduction in overall funding. • 66% saw an increase in demand for their services. Source: LVSC

  17. 3. Context: council budget cuts Champions? Image: downloadwallpaper.hdcom

  18. 4. Narrative 2 narrative options – Where would you be without us? No cuts! Image: ft.com

  19. 4. Narrative

  20. 4. Narrative VCS make tangible differencein people’s lives VCS bring VALUE – preventshigher costs to stat. services Imagineno VCS – needs would go unchecked, higher costs Sensibleuse of public money Joseph + Mark, Youth Futures

  21. 4. Evidence Evidence/metrics on local VCS as a sector. • Concrete, contribution, economic • # organisations, # employees Name others!

  22. 4. Evidence

  23. 4. Evidence • # organisations • # employees • # volunteers • £ of volunteering • £ leveraged in Also – • # working with children/older people etc. • £ charity (local) spending

  24. Refreshments 5 minutes!

  25. 1. Outline

  26. 5. Films – prevention + themes • Films – case studies of VCS prevention/value • 5 themes / areas of VCS work • Website

  27. 5. Films – prevention + themes Themes? i.e. VCS work

  28. 5. Films – prevention + themes Themes reflect council priorities – • ‘Fairer Future Promises’ • Health & Wellbeing Strategy • Economic Wellbeing Strategy • Children & Young People’s Plan

  29. E.g. parenting classes, high quality youth work. E.g. prison, hospital

  30. 5. Films – prevention + themes • Prevention, reducing pressure on stat. services. Youth futures (4.00-4.15) • Support and build confidence of young people at risk of exclusion. • Prevention – police resources, costs of unemployment. Family Action (1.55-2.22) • Support isolated families – children and parents. • Prevention – fewer children into care system. – fewer parents requiring mental health services.

  31. 5. Films – prevention + themes

  32. 5. Films – prevention + themes • Narrative – what would happen if VCS didn’t exist • Evidence – employees, volunteering, leveraged income • Examples – of prevention, projects Role play! • Pairs – 1 council leader, 1 VCS advocate • 3 minutes to argue for the value of the local VCS, risks of cutting • Prompts

  33. 6. Policy asks ‘Early Action Commission’ • Independent • Long-term, cross-sectorview • How can the council, NHS, police etc. work with the VCS to preventneeds escalating Support from – • Council CEO • Corporate Strategy (demand management) • Health & Wellbeing Board • CCG (self-management)

  34. 6. Policy asks What Can You Do?   As a Southwark councillor, you can support our Value the VCS campaign in a number of ways: • Early Action & Voluntary Sector Commission Support our call for an independent, multi-agency commission to be set up in 2014 to look at how the council, NHS, police and other agencies can work with the VCS to act early and prevent needs and costs from arising. • Social Value & better commissioning Improve council commissioning so that social needs are met more effectively, such as by fully embedding social value. • Council Budget Formulate budgets that invest in prevention and long-term solutions, rather than making short-term reductions resulting in escalating needs. • Keep up to date Follow the campaign as we continue to film local charities. See our website  and follow us on Twitter at @valuetheVCS.

  35. 6. Policy asks Think + discuss! • Early Action a good hook? • Commission effective in your borough? • What would you do differently? • Other policy asks?

  36. 6. Policy asks

  37. 7. Recap Participants will gain – • Knowledge of how CAS is influencing Southwark council on the impact of budget cuts. • Knowledge of the different tools used to collect and share evidence. • Ideas for how to influence their local council.

  38. 7. Recap • Worthwhile? – pros/cons, politics • Context – cuts, national/London/VCS • Response narrative – value, what if no VCS? • Evidence – sector, employees, volunteers, funding • Examples – films, prevention, cost-saving • Role play • Policy – Early Action Commission (+ Social Value)

  39. Contact Phil Mawhinney Senior Policy Officer Community Action Southwark [e] phil@casouthwark.org.uk [t] 0207 358 7018 www. valuethevcs.org.uk @valuetheVCS

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